Expected Journey

(Two Months Later...)

It's been two months since I've been here. I had completely changed, till my body to my mindset. Now I was faster, stronger, and wiser. The rock that I became so nervous lifting or pushing, had become a thing that I could easily lift. I was able to lift many weights after a long time.

This wasn't actually a substantial type of development, but regarding what I felt earlier and all throughout my journey to becoming better with Ronk, it was something to be happy of. It was somewhat perplexing to accomplish my imaginary dream.

And on the other hand, against those vicious monsters, I had managed to develop many strategies, whereas I was terrified to approach them. It took a very long time for me, but after encountering them many times more, I learned to control the power inside me and find a way to deal with them.

I was less scared and my fears were getting lighter.

I almost felt like a feather actually.

I didn't get tired as easily as I used to. I was more athletic now than before. Running for hours or walking for a long distance, was something that I can handle.

On the way to awakening my strength, I continued to work nonstop, day by day. I knew that I got here because of all the painful exercises Ronk put me through. He told me never to lose faith in myself. And thanks to his help, I became so strong, and now was here.

So one of the days, I found Ronk as I did every day, but that day, I was even happier than the other days,

As I found him, I said smiling,

"Thank you for everything, Ronk. What you've done for me so far has been invaluable."

It was now time to leave some things behind. It wasn't easy at all obviously. But I knew he was understanding.

"I didn't do anything, I just showed you what to do. You did all this on your own."

I smiled again,

"At least as a thank you, I'll take care of the food and the fire today."

For everything he helped me through, he deserved more than this. After I said those words, I hunted some animals and got back home after a short time. Then I started preparing the food by lighting the fire.

We had a calming atmosphere around us and it was very quiet. It was very soothing actually. A soothing melody of the wind. There was no sound nor a distraction. Far away from any danger, this was one of our rare calm days. Just for relaxing with just the crunch of the fire.

But after a while, Ronk started talking,

"Kid, You've gained your strength, and you have developed your own thoughts."

He then looked at me with serious eyes,

"What are you going to do now?"

It was something that Ronk truly wondered. Not for some training or such, he really wanted to get an answer to know. So it wasn't something that I should rush to answer.

I slowly put the food bowl in front o me and replied, while thinking about everything that I felt and see,

"It's obvious." I said.

"I'm going to help other people by stopping people like Miron. And of course him. Just like my father, I want to keep fighting and helping. Then when I find the things that I need, I'll find my Uncle."

The emotions in my heart had formed a shape on my face. I was looking at the bowl with somewhat confusion. And Ronk understood what was going on in my mind. My want to keep going and going, was something he saw every day.

"You're unlikely to be able to do such a thing."

He stopped for a second, making me think that he was going to give me some advice or scold me again,

But this time was different. He talked in an understanding tone,

"But now I can't stop you. You can now use your powers for your own purposes. And you can seek the truth however you like. But don't forget one thing. Wherever you go or whatever choice or option you take, you must know that pain will follow you every single second of your life. You will have no time to apprehend these emotions or find a solution to them, and some will show their true faces to you. But you can still stand up and fight for yourself. So make choices that you will not regret."

I knew he was going to support me no matter what. His petrifying and disciplined personality also had a meaningful side to it. He had a thoughtful and merciful point of view.

So to thank him, I said what I needed to say,

"You taught me here that the word impossible is not true. By training me, by empowering me. And even if I make a choice that I'll regret, I'm not as weak as I used to be, I can handle it. I can do it. And I'm believing it."

"That's a different matter, Kid. But is ethical for you to keep your thoughts like that."

"Understood. Then I will be back to traini-"

"There is one little piece of information I must tell you. So wait for a little more."

He interrupted me, wanting to tell me something important.

I then sat down and started listening to him again,

"What else there for me to know?"

"Besides many other things, you have to know about your enemy. And I'm pretty convinced that you know nothing about them since nobody told you much about these things."

"What is it?" I asked curiously, wanting to know what he meant by my "Enemies".

He then looked at the fireplace and started explaining once more,

"It is about Miron. And about his true identity.

Identity. I sure saw him with a black cape when I first come across him, and he didn't look like he was hiding too. But his true identity had to be more than that.

"Why he is keeping his identity a secret? Is he running away from somebody just like we are?"

"No, that is not correct. It is about his reputation among people. Just like I said before, he had tortured many innocent people along his way. And for that, he became more frightening for everybody. But that's just not it.

Ronk then added,

"We call Miron and people like him "Elite Soldiers". They are the people who work for the "Epics"."

Elite Soldiers. Epics. Both were terms that I haven't been familiar with.

"How powerful are they?" I asked, wanting to know more about those blood-curdling terms.

"The Epics are people who have almost as much power as a king. But they are very different from Kings."

He then added,

"These people are better known as The Evil Kings of The Continents. In short, they are the other faces of the coin. And each of the rules one of the kingdoms too. They rule the continents behind the shadows and with an unforgiving form of understanding. And on the other hand, Elite soldiers are the same as them. They are just little pawns that have less power, and they just serve the epics."

Ronk then looked at me,

"But don't see them fragile too. They are much harder to deal with than you think."

"But why don't the Kings do something about them?"

"They can't."

"But why not? Why they aren't doing a single thing?" I kept asking curiously.

There was something wrong. For something big like this, something scary like this, not acting for none of them was making me angry for a reason. Something inside me was going against me through thoughts like that.

It was wrong.

"Because they're dangerous. They are more threatening and much more vigilante than you think, Kid. Kings don't want their people to get hurt, and that is sure for a reason."

Ronk seemed very certain about his opinion. He was much a wiser person than me and saw many more events than me. And seeing him talk about the Epics in a voice tone like that, made me sure that he knew many more things about them.

I knew they were dangerous just like him too, but the tone when he said those words, was literally telling me that they were frightening.

And just then he continued,

"Anyway, as I said, five Elite soldiers serve each Epic.

Each of these elite soldiers protects the Epic from far and near range from any mortal harm that may come to him or her. Thus, even if anyone digs a tunnel right under, or attacks right above the sky, the Elite soldiers take action before anyone else and eliminate their enemies before the war even begins."

"So they are that fast..."

"That's not all too. There is a separate reason why the Epics are superior to other elite soldiers and lead them, and that is their intelligence. Even if their enemies manage to reach the Epic, they encounter somewhat a greater trap."

"Trap? But how they can get away from any fight? How do they know every single detail?"

"To the intelligence levels they have, they gain the upper hand in every collision and take the lives of their enemies in a ruthless way. They like to finish their work without difficulty and with pleasure. And so they succeed many of them."

"Isn't there anybody who could defeat them? There must be a way to defeat them if somebody can get the Elite Soldiers out of the way, right?"

"That makes them untouchable. Even if the elite soldiers are not with them, they are still strong enough. And each of the epics is stronger and more deadly than the other. So it is a complex situation. But there is more to that too."

More? How can they be more frightening?

"The epics in the fourth Kingdom and the fifth Kingdom have an unstoppable power. Aside from the ranking of powers between The Epics and Elite Soldiers, everyone sees them on another level. These are the kind of people that even kings can't get close to out of fear and can achieve whatever they want from wherever they want."

"Fourth and the Fifth... They are both the strongest right?"

"Especially the epic in the fifth Kingdom. He is also a descendant of the destruction bloodline, so no one wants to mess with him. He's almost as strong as your father or Yores that have died years ago."

Someone as powerful as the strongest person of a bloodline. Ruling everyone without even being seen or told. I didn't hear much about him before, but having his name heard all among the continents was something that didn't get out of my head. Because he was someone as powerful as "Evil Yores" or "Alpha Prime". Someone who could damage anybody.

The fifth king. He sounded just like a ghost.

"So that's why they don't counterattack. Because all of them feel the same way. All of them. They're afraid." I said to Ronk, while clenching my fist with anger and fear.

It was so frustrating to know something like this, but to be at the start of everything, I knew I couldn't do anything. At least for now. I was feeling ready, but after the things I learned, my hands shook once more. More with anger.

"Exactly." Ronk replied, watching my emotions change.

He then added,

"They are the real devils that live on earth. They may be unseen, but they sure have heard among everybody."

"What about Miron?"

I asked out of nowhere.

"Which one does Miron serve?"

I wanted to know more about him, so since we opened the discussion, I wanted to know every detail.

"To none of them." Ronk replied.

He then added,

"The Epic in the fourth kingdom wanted to make Miron an Elite soldier, but Miron refused because he doesn't like to take orders from anyone. He is like an untameable animal after all. And after that, he had his reputation as a contract killer. He became someone who took lives just for his own enjoyment and got on with his payment from various people. Some Epic doesn't like him very much, since many things have occurred between them. As if they were scared of him so badly."

"There are too many of them. But I don't think that is impossible to change it. Don't you think somebody can beat them all? You also told me that there were so many lineages and powerful people. Can't they help just for once?"

"Hmph." Ronk didn't want to answer that question, because we both knew it was going to be the same answer as the other ones.

But he said one thing,

"I have no idea, Kid. But if you keep looking, you may have found things you may not expect. There are many different people on this earth."

Finding people who were going to believe me and trust me for the rest of my journey. That was my biggest goal for now. I wanted because I wasn't invincible too, I wanted people who were going to see through the lies with me and seek the light.

I needed them.

"That's why I'm looking for people who will fight beside me without fear. I'll look for people who have hope, who don't give up. And until then, I will not give away my faith in ordinary things. I will hold on."

"And how do you plan to find them?"

"I don't know, I could have used the map my uncle gave me, but the map doesn't show anything."

"Map?" Ronk asked with a questioning voice tone.

I pulled the map my uncle gave me out of my bag and showed it to Ronk,

"This is no ordinary map. It's a magical map."

He looked at the map carefully and slowly examined it.

"What do you know about this, Ronk?"

"Nothing much, but I know what purpose it's used for. This map is a very rare item. They say this map shows you where you want to go."

"Places I want to go?"

"Yes. It shows you where you want to go. Whether it's a place or a person, it shows you what you're looking for or what you want to see. But if you let it fall into bad hands, you can get in a lot of trouble."

"Then I can find people who will help me thanks to this map, can't I?

"It's not that easy. Its seal hasn't been opened yet. You need a sorcerer to open its seal, only they can open it."

A sorcerer? Why did that feel familiar anyway?

Then I remembered.

"Oh right! Maybe Pelena can help me."

"Her village is a week away from here, and if you start traveling now, it should be better for you since the weather nowadays is good.

"But how will I know that I got there?"

"You will arrive in a city before you get there. If you ask about the village to someone who is close by, they'll tell you."

"Got it. Thank you, Ronk."

"It is dangerous too, don't forget that." He said while I left for my daily training.

Then Ronk put out the fire and went to bed.

Hours after our conversation, when night fell, I started looking at the stars and thinking about what Ronk said. My actions, the actions of the ones before me. Miron's wants and needs to kill. Every piece was lying on the floor and they were all united. And the big picture that I saw from it wasn't something soothing. But I still wanted to follow the same path as my uncle and father. Maybe they lost their lives on this road, but the things they have succeeded, in were something phenomenal to me.

I wanted to know every single detail and learn by going the same path as them. Even though it was going to cost me a lot, I wanted people to see me as a hero.

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In the morning, I packed my things, put my stuff in a bag that I made out of animal skin, and got ready to get going. And on the other hand, even though he knew I was going, Ronk kept breaking trees and continued to do his house chores.

I wasn't blaming him. Being around a kid for such a long time and caring about him every single day had been so boring and tiring, it made me nervous even thinking about him.

I was even grateful to him.

While I was leaving, Max was following me. He looked like he understood that I was going and tried to walk in front of my legs. It was like it was trying to stop me.

I got on my knees and said while petting it,

"I'm leaving, thank you again for everything, I hope we meet again."

"It won't happen, Kid." Ronk replied, finally giving his attention to me.

"We don't have to owe each other anything, anymore. I paid my debt to your father by training you. Now it is your turn to keep moving forward."

He was right, I owed him something.

"Ronk, I've been a burden to you so far, and I know I can't thank you enough. But can I want one last favor?"

He looked at me confused, and saw me pointing at the dog,

"Take care of Max. He needs a home."

At first, he just sighed and continued to carry some logs. But after some couple of seconds, he started talking again while his back turned.

"The Wolf can stay here, but that's all."

And with that, the final thing I had to do was done.

"Thank you very much, Ronk."

Stroking Max's head I talked to him for the last time,

"Max, take care and stay out of trouble. Understand?"

It made a little howling sound and licked my hand. Max was very cute for a wolf and leaving it was hard. But I could tell Max was upset too. Whenever I got far away from the house, it stayed as we ordered him to, but wanted me to come back there too so it howled sadly. Since I couldn't take him, I only let him say goodbye by licking my face.

It was a fine farewell.

Ronk didn't react much. He's always been a tough guy since I've known him and stayed like that until the end. But I was sure he had a soft heart in him. Inside somewhere, even at it was the smallest chance, he was somebody good at last.

After I left, I was very excited because I had never been anywhere but my village before. Even on the road, I kept thinking. After spending all these months with Ronk, the feeling of exploring some new land was divergent to me.

Now I was out of where I was and finally began to travel.

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(One Day Later.....)

I arrived in the city of Nemov, which Ronk was talking about with me. I was very surprised when I saw the city because it was quite crowded. And also there was a lot of different type of houses. People here were in a big hurry. They were hardworking, nonstop. It was full of life.

After a short walk through the city, I saw a horse-drawn carriage approach very quickly and carelessly. The driver was driving without caring about the people around him. At that moment, a lady with a baby in her hand entered the range of the carriage. But the carriage did not intend to stop.

At that moment, the lady panicked so much that she couldn't escape, and those around her were just watching.

I used all my speed to save the lady and the baby from the front of the carriage. But the people in the car continued without caring about it.

I wanted to stop them from hurting others, but someone acted before me. The man fired a single shot with the gun in his hand, smashing the wheel of the car. The car suddenly started rolling and careless people in it were thrown to the ground.

The man's movements were quite flawless and fast, he seemed confident in what he was doing. He looked like a cowboy with a hat on his head and a cigar in his mouth.

At that moment, I wanted to talk to him, but by the time I left the lady, he had already disappeared.

I immediately started asking people around where I could find him, and who he was. According to people here, he was making weapons to make money. And he always had that cowboy style.

People nicknamed him" Hiroshi, the eye of the West". After I found out where the store he works at I went there in no time.